Blog Posts by FITNESS Magazine

Kate Sears/Fitness MagazineBy Samantha Shelton

If the healthy foods in your fridge formed a team, yogurt would be the MVP. It's packed with protein, calcium, and probiotics­ -- "good" bacteria that can help with digestion and boost immunity -- and it tastes like a treat. But not all yogurts are created equal. Some contain as much sugar as a candy bar, while others have more than a third of the saturated fat you're supposed to have in a day. The good news: We worked with our team of nutritionists and taste testers to come up with eight great options you can dig into without a lick of guilt. All have less than 20 grams of sugar (keep in mind that a 6-ounce serving of plain yogurt has about 13 grams of naturally occurring sugar from milk), no more than 150 calories, and less than 5 grams of fat. Go on -- give 'em a swirl.

What makes a winner
Companies submitted 85 new yogurts to FITNESS. Our experts -- Anar Allidina, RD, a dietitian in private practice in Toronto; Keri Gans, RD, the author of The Small Change

Cheyenne Ellis/Fitness MagazineBy Jenna Autuori-Dedic

Minis are in! "Shorter, harder workouts may actually be better for revving your metabolism than longer sessions," says trainer Jessica Smith, a co-author of The Thin in 10 Weight-Loss Plan. "You'll continue to burn calories at a higher rate long after you're done exercising." Here's how to maximize the minutes you think you don't have.

Related: Rev Up the Burn: The Drenched Method Workout

1. Split it up. Instead of a 40-minute slog, think of your daily cardio as four 10-minute sessions or two 20-minute workouts. "You net the benefits no matter when you get it done," Smith says.

2. Move before you make excuses. "Bang out a routine right after you wake up," Smith says. Set your alarm 20 minutes earlier than usual; not only will you not notice the missed sleep, but you'll also get an energy buzz from the exercise.

3. Push yourself. When your workout is short -- 20 minutes or less -- "going all out is much more doable, and that's what will really make your cardio

Alexa Miller/Fitness MagazineBy Dorothy Foltz-Gray

Pecan pie. Eggnog. Aunt Norma's famous sweet potatoes. Candy canes. Holiday "sugar plums" can undo us. Still, what's merriment without a bit of sweet indulgence? Splurge a little-then follow our easy tips for burning off those extra calories.*

* Note: The calories burned are estimates based on a 150-pound woman. What you burn depends on your height, weight, and how vigorously you work out.

Related: 10 Strategies to Lose Fat and Keep It Off

1. A Slice of Pecan Pie (500 calories)
"Oh the pie! Pecan, pumpkin, apple, pecan, chocolate, pecan. Did I say that already?" asks Krista Maurer, a writer, photographer, and designer in Bountiful, Utah. "I could eat an entire pecan pie by myself."

Burn It Off This Way: Shoveling Snow
Pie-loving Maurer, who has recently lost 35 pounds, undoes her pecan pie calories by shoveling her driveway for at least an hour. "It's a hefty workout, especially when we get a wet snow," she says.

"Eighty minutes of show shoveling will burn

Sara Forrest/Fitness MagazineBy Jan Sheehan

The holidays are a scary time for dieters, but you can stick to your diet though Thanksgiving and Christmas. Here's how to regain control after common seasonal slip-ups -- so you might even lose weight this year.

Related: 100 Days of Guilt-Free Holidays

You drank too much eggnog at the office party.
Undo the damage. You can blame your wicked hangover and pounding headache on dehydration and the toxins your body had to release to metabolize all that booze. "Alcohol also increases the secretion of acid in the stomach and irritates the stomach lining," says Robert Swift, MD, PhD, associate director of the Brown University Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies in Providence. Relieve your misery by eating a piece of toast with honey. Greasy foods, like fried eggs and sausages, will only overtax your irritated digestive system and make it pump out more acid, Dr. Swift says. Honey is an excellent source of fructose, a sugar that research shows may help your body get rid

Darren Keith/Fitness MagazineBy Amy Paturel

The best news we've heard all year: Chocolate boosts your metabolism. When we combed through the research, the sweet treat wasn't the only surprise standout. While calories are the key to diet success (or failure), certain ingredients can help speed up your slim-down.

Related: The 10 Healthiest Foods on the Planet

Dark Chocolate
A particularly sweet study found that daily consumption of roughly one and a half ounces of dark chocolate -- about the amount in a Hershey's bar -- reduced the stress hormone cortisol. (Stress has been linked to a sluggish metabolism.) Researchers suspect that certain compounds in chocolate, like caffeine and theobromine, may be responsible. Another reason to indulge: A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that adults who ate moderate amounts of chocolate regularly were actually thinner than those who didn't, even though they consumed more calories and exercised the same amount.

Look for chocolate that contains at least

Jonathan Kantor/Fitness MagazineBy Rebecca Brown

With all the meds on the market these days, it's tough to keep straight what is safe to take and what isn't unless there's an MD at the end of your name. Here, the way prescriptions, OTC pills, and even food can interact with each other.

Related: What to Eat for an Easier Period

Grapefruit Juice and OTC Antihistamine, Fexofenadine (Allegra)
A study conducted by the University of Western Ontario in Canada revealed that grapefruit products and some citrus fruits, like oranges, contain chemicals that can affect various medications in your body, often times causing the medicine to stay in your body longer. "In grapefruit juice, it is thought that naringin, a flavonoid compound naturally found in the fruit, interferes with the absorption of some drugs," says Joseph S. Bertino Jr., Pharm.D and associate professor of pharmacology at Columbia University. "Grapefruit juice turns on a pump in the small intestine that blocks some drugs from moving through and into the blood."

Karen Pearson/Fitness MagazineWorkout by Kathy Smith, creator of the Kathy Smith: Total Body Lift DVD

Do these five fast arm exercises and celebrate by going sleeveless! All you need is a pair of 3- to 5-pound dumbbells and a stability ball.

Related: Our Top 10 Arm Exercises

Triceps Tap
Targets: Abs and butt
• Sit on ball with knees bent 90 degrees, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
• Walk feet forward until upper back and head rest on ball. Lift hips, forming a straight line.
• Extend arms toward ceiling, then bend elbows to lower dumbbells behind you. Straighten arms.
• Do 15 reps; roll back up.

Karen Pearson/Fitness MagazineDouble-Bell Row
Targets: Shoulders, upper back, and biceps
• Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding two dumbbells in right hand.
• Step back with right leg, bending knees slightly, and hinge forward from hips. Place left hand on left thigh.
• Extend right arm below shoulder. Bend elbow to bring weights to ribs; extend.
• Do 12 rows. Switch sides; repeat.

Related: The Little Black Dress Workout: Get Slim, Strong

Jemal Countess/Getty ImagesBy Colleen Moody

Trying to hit the gym more frequently? We've got just the inspiration. Take a look at which A-listers made our fit list for having the best arms, legs, abs, and more in 2012.

Related: The Best Celebrity Makeovers


Best Revenge Body: Katie Holmes
This Broadway star and overall badass mama keeps her shape in check with frequent Soul Cycle classes -- a FITNESS editor favorite! She was even spotted at a class on her 32nd birthday. Now that's dedication.
Runner-up: Katy Perry


Best Legs: Blake Lively
Good genes, yes. But those long and lean stems are the result of hard work, too! The bombshell perfects squat jumps and lunges to keep her gams looking great. Now if only we could forgive her for taking Ryan Reynolds off the market....
Runner-up: Heidi Klum

Best Arms: Michelle Obama
In what many considered to be a risky move, the First Lady donned a sleeveless dress at the Democratic National Convention this year, sparking quite a buzz. But really, with biceps like those